Stone-gathering machine.



no. 891,709. D PATENTED JI'INB 23, 1908;

. E.-B. LAMME & B. KBTTBRBR. STONE GATHERING MACHINE. -APPLIOATIOH FILED 00m, 1907.

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' WITNESSES INVENTOHS No..891,709. PATENTED JUNE 23. 1908. E. B. LAMME & E. KBTTERER.

STONE GATHERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.1. 1907.

A TTOHNEYS No. 891,709. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908. B. B. LAMME & E. KETTBRER. .STONBGATHERING MACHINE.

APPLIGATIONIILBD 00121, 1907.

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l N VE N TOPS n lilamrlze 27% L! Zfetterer I WITNESSES ATTORNEYS N0. 891,709. PATENTED JUNE 23,1908.

. B. B; LAMME &.B.YKETTERBR.

STONE GATHERING MACHINE.- AYILIGATTON FILED OUT. 1. 1907.

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WITNESSES INVENTORS n Eda/L72 B. Zanzme 6. R hflwwx -.Z'mil](eiierer A TTOH'NE Y8 Uirrrnn srarns Parana" OFFICE.

EDWIN BATES LAMME AND EMIL KETTERER, OF'BOZEMAN, MONTANA.

STONE-GATHERING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1908..

Application filed October 1, 1907. Serial No. 395,344.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN -B. LAMME andEMIL KETTERER, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Bozeman, in the county of Gallatin and State of Montana, have invented a new and Improved Stone- Gathering Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is more particularly intended for picking and gathering stones, and it relates to that class of machines in which a wheeled vehicle is equipped with picking and elevating means for collectin and dehvering the stones to a receptac e on the vehicle. a

The object of the invention is to improve to so arrange and support these-parts relatively to the vehicle body and wheels as to afford a maximum strength and resistance 7 to the strains incident to the operation,

While providing a simple and practical construction effective and expeditious in pickand delivering the material.

e erence is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings forming apart of this specification, in. which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. 7

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructedin accordance with our invention Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4. is a transverse vertical section taken about on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a rear view ofthe vehicle body, showing the receiver thereof and the means for raising and lowering the dumping bottom of the receiver, the bottom being shown closed; and F ig. 6 is a fragmentary side view of the rear end of the vehicle body, showing said receiver with the dumping bottom in an open position. We have illustrated one embodiment of the invention as showing a practical form thereof and will particularly explain the details of this illustrated construction and will point out the invention in the claims.

In constructing a machine in accordance with our invention, a vehicle body A is provided, having a pair of running wheels B mounted on an axle B, which has support in brackets A on the under side of the body, rearward of the center of length of the body, and at the rear end A the body is deepened to constitute a receptacle for receiving the gathered stones or other materials On the said body, at a point directly above the axle B, there is pivoted the frame 0 which carries the picking andzelevating devices, the frame being adapted to be swung on a shaft 0 having hearings in brackets A, the framebeing inclined downwardly and forwardly, the frontend C projecting upward and being sustained by a chain D or its equivalent, the

upper end of which is secured to a grooved segment E, carried by a rock shaft e which is provided with a hand leverF having a spring atch adapted to engs -1 e in a toothed segment f, the arrangeme.

manipulating the lever 1, segment are rocked to win-fl or unwind the chain D, thereby adjus i the forward end of the frame C and the mechanism carried thereby, toward or fromthe surface of the ground. Bearing brackets 0 (Figs. 2 and 4) are bolted to the frameC and embrace shaft the shaft and its -c so that the frame may swing on said shaft.

The frame C is provided with picking devices G'for taking up the stones from the ground, and mounted on the frameis an elevating mechanism including endlesschains and transverse bars 7L, and fingers 71,, whereby the stones or other material will be elevated and delivered to the receptacle provided at the rear end A of the vehicle body, the bottom a of which receptacle is adapted to be dumped by means hereinafter described. The picking devices shown consist of a transverse series of picking fingers G, formed on longitudinally ranging bars g the rearendsof which are downwardly curved, as shown in Fig. 6, to direct the stones into the receptacle A. The picking fingers at their bases embrace a supporting bar C sscured to the opposite sides of the frame C. The upper portion of each finger has a rear extension g which overlies the top of the bar C while the main shank of the finger passes beneath the under side of said bar suitable bolts g being employed to complete the' connection. At intervals along the finger bars g, transverse bolts g pass therethrough, and on said bolts between the bars 9, spacingsleevcs g are placed. Additional support'is given being such that by thelongitudinal' bars 9 by means of ,a trans- Verse bar G supported at its ends by brackets g on the frame C, as shown in Figs. 3

' and 4.

'The endless chains II of the elevator extend around .upper and lower sprocketwheels H, the upper sprocket wheel being mounted on the shaft'c, and the lower sprocket wheel ona shaft H having bearings in blocks I,

secured totheforward end of the frame C, said blocks I- having slots 1 through which run of the elevator, the transverse bars h thereof have guided movement and are sustained in grooves provided at thesides of the frame 0. In the form shown, this groove is provided by means of longitudinal plates J, the ends of which diverge as aty' (Figs. 2 and 3) for the ready entrance and exit of the bars,

and along said plate upper and lower flanges j are formed.

' Theshaft cis driven from the running wheels B, said shaft carrying sprocket wheels L, over which pass sprocket chains M, which pass also over sprocket wheels N secured to the running wheels B by spiders i the hubs n of which spiders fit the inner ends of the wheel hubs, while the outer ends of the spiders are bolted to the spokes, as clearly shown in F 4.

To throw the shaft 0 into and out of gear with the driving wheels, clutches K are provided on said shaft, the forked shifting levers O of which extend upward and are pivoted intermediate their length, as at 0, on upward extensions A of the brackets A in which the shaft 0 rotates said upward extensions being connected by a transverse bar A. The

upper ends of the clutch levers O are fulcrumed to the outer ends of shifting rods P mounted to slide on the cross bar A". Springs 0 secured respectively to the shifting lovers 0 and to the extensions A, tend to normally h'oldthe clutch in operative position.

The dui'nping bottom a is controlled. by devices as follows: On a shaft (1 mounted on the rear end A of the body, the lower ends of levers Q are secured, one at each end of said shaft, to the upper ends of which levers, chains g are fastened, said chain's extending downward and connecting with the rearwardly projecting ends of bars Q2 secured to the under side of the dumping bottom a, the rear ends of the bars 9' being pivotally connected, as at (1" with straps S, the rear ends of which embrace the vehicle axle B, on which straps S the inner end a of the receptacle A is secured. On one of said levers Q an extension is formed intermediate the upper and lower ends of the lover, giving the same the form of a bell crank as shown in Figsf 1 and 6, and to said extension a connecting rod R is secured, the forward end of which is carried by a leverR having a latch '1" adapted to engage a toothed segment 7', whereby to hold the lever and through the connections described, hold the bottom-a in the adjusted position;

By the described construction'it will be evident that the fingers G as the machine is drawn over the surface of the ground, will pick up stones or the like, and the fingers h of the traveling elevator will carry the material rearwardly alongthe bottom bars 9,

anddeliver the same to thereceptacle A, the plates J serving to sustain the elevator bars and enable the fingers to resist any tendency of stones to displace them.

By mounting the rear end of the frame 0 directly over the vehicle axle, and causing the dumping to be done at this point, a strong construction is produced which minimizes the result of strams in the operation of the machine. It will be observed, also, that the picking devices and elevating mechanism are sustained by the frame 0 and adj ustable therewith, this arrangement providing a strong, compact and sim le structure.

Having thus describe our invention, we

claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent 1. In a gathering machine, the combination with awheeled vehicle on which a receptacle is provided, of a forwardly and downwardly inclined frame having longitudinally ranging bars forming the bottom ,of the frame, the front ends of which are provided with picking fingers, said frame having a crossbar at the front and the picking fingers being secured to said crossbar, the fingers having portions embracing said bar at the top and the bottom of the same said frame having a second crossbar extending beneath the bottom bars near their rear ends and an endless elevator having movement on said frame and serving to elevate the material picked up by the picking fingers.

2. In agathermg machine, the combination with a wheeledvehicle on which a receptacle is provided, of a forwardly and downwardly inclined frame having longitudinally ranging bars forming the bottom of the frame, the front ends of said bars being pro vided with picking-fingers and the rear ends of said bars terminating at the receptacle and being curved downward, the said frame having a crossbar at the front and the picking fingers having portions embracing the crossbar at the top and bottom thereof, said frame having a second crossbar extending beneath the bottom bars near. their rear ends; and an endless elevator having movement on said frame and serving to elevate 'the material plckedup by the plckmg fingers.

3. In a gathering machine, the combination with a wheeled vehicle rovided with a In testimony whereof we have signed our 10 receptacle, of a frame provi ed with picking names to this specification in the presence of firkilgelrls at 1itfsh lfront end and (ii, cripsspialr to two subscribing witnesses. w 1c saic gers are secure t e gers' i, I

5 having portions embracing said bar at the top and, bottom of the same, and elevating I means having movement on said frame for Witnesses: elevating the material from the picking 7 ALFoRD 'YERGEY;

fingers. J. H. BAKER. 

